| 192 not know but there would be a disturbance among the mob characters to-day; we accordingly had a company of men placed at the county line, so as to be ready at a minute's warning, if there should be any difficulty at the trial.
"The trial commenced. William P. Peniston, who was the prosecutor, had no witnesses but Adam Black, who contrived to swear a great many things that never had an existence until he swore them, and I presume never entered the heart of any man to conceive; and in fine, I think he swore by the job, and that he was employed so to do by Peniston.
"The witnesses on the part of the defense were Dimick B. Huntington, Gideon Carter, Adam Lightner, and George W. Robinson.
"The Judge bound Colonel Wight and myself over to court in a five hundred dollar bond. There was no proof against us to criminate us, but it is supposed he did it to pacify as much as possible the feelings of the mobbers. The Judge stated afterwards, in the presence of George W. Robinson, that there was nothing proven against us worthy of bonds; but we submitted without murmuring a word, gave the bonds with sufficient securities, and all returned home the same evening.
"We found two persons in Daviess at the trial, which gentlemen were sent from Chariton County as a committee to inquire into all this matter, as the mobbers had sent to that place for assistance, they said to take Smith and Wight; but their object was to drive the brethren from the county of Daviess, as was done in Jackson County. They said the people in Chariton did not see proper to send help without knowing for what purpose they were doing it, and this they said was their errand. They accompanied us to Far West to hold a council with us, in order to learn the facts of this great excitement, which is, as it were, turning the world upside down. We arrived home in the evening. . . .
"Saturday, 8th. . . . The Presidency met in council with the committee from Chariton County, together with General Atchison, where a relation was given of the whole matter, the present state of excitement, and the cause of all this
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